Dusky colours ripple through the vines with the fading light and the moonlight casts a warm yellow glow. There’s a subtle hum of jazz music mixed with the buzzing of the world far, far away. Wrapped in a blanket, you sip the soft glass of red and sink velvety dark of night. This is Frank.

Frank the cubby

Frank, the cubby, is a bit like your dad’s best bottle of red wine. The one that he’s been storing since the dark ages and quickly hides when Aunt Agnes comes to town. He’s broody, modest and sophisticated, with just a hint of mystery.

Hiding in a tranquil spot between the vines, a fruit orchard and The Truffle Farm, Frank is a private oasis away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

With a chestnut floor and notes of mocha, Frank mirrors the shades of the limestone earth and wild fruits growing in the orchard nearby.

He is a secluded and cosy hideout with sleek, dark accents and an enchanting view of vines climbing the hill.

Frank the winemaker

Dr Frank van de Loo is the current winemaker at Mount Majura Vineyard, taking over the reins from Edgar in 1998.

“For me, he [Edgar] has special significance. He selected the site for the vineyard that I look after; he was instrumental in what I was doing… Thirty odd years later and we’re enjoying the fruits of his discovery”

– Frank on Edgar (Canberra Times)

Frank’s wine making style is lo-tech, simple and traditional – think hand-plunging, stick the wine in a barrel, let it mature through winter and get it to bottle without any tricks. Counted among Australia’s best winemakers, he is never idle and always coming up with new ideas. He toils with modesty and humility, but ever the scientist looking to reshape and redefine.

Frank follows in the footsteps of the original cubby, Edgar, but with his own traditional yet edgy flair. just like Dr Edgar Riek’s superb 1994 chardonnay lives on in the memory of Dr Frank van de Loo.